With his 34th birthday around the corner and a contract that lasts only until next June, it may be the last time Chelsea’s skipper treads the turf at the Theatre of Dreams.

If you want to hurt the opposition what better way to do so that get under the skin of a man who is the subject of the ‘Captain, Leader, Legend’ banner that swings from the top tier of the Matthew Harding Stand at Stamford Bridge.

There are many reasons why the man on the street could dislike Terry.

From the moment when he first sprang into the nation’s consciousness as little more than a young professional after a nightclub altercation with a bouncer in Wimbledon, Chelsea’s ­skipper has had little trouble courting controversy.

Being fined two weeks’ wages for drunkenly mocking American tourists, along with team-mates, the day after 9/11 was one thing. But his later ­involvement with former ­colleague Wayne Bridge’s then girlfriend was sufficient to tip the balance in the eyes of many.

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Then there was the fallout from the racism row with Anton Ferdinand.

That rumpus claimed the Ferdinand family, Ashley Cole, the Football Association and Fabio Capello as victims.

As Rio Ferdinand has ­subsequently stated, the likelihood is that it could all have been avoided with a simple and heartfelt one word apology.

And even when Terry has been doing his job, he has still managed to make himself a figure of fun.

By donning his blue shirt to join in with Chelsea’s Champions League party two years ago he ensured that those whizzes on ­social media would have hours of fun, cutting and pasting him into other celebrations.

The Berlin Wall was a particular favourite of mine.

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All of which undermines a man who – on purely ­football terms alone – should be spoken about in the same breath as true greats. Billy Wright played 105 times for England and was at the ­cornerstone of Wolverhampton Wanderers’ success during the 1950s. They honoured him with a statue at Molineux, while Bobby Moore, another ­genuine legend, stands sentinel ­outside Wembley.

Apart from an international career cut short because of Terry’s inability to spot how things were going to play out in the court of public opinion, the Chelsea man’s achievements are every bit as impressive ...

Along with Mourinho, Terry helped to establish the winning mentality that Chelsea fans now take for granted.

Prior to the Abramovich/Mourinho revolution, the Blues had not won a league title in 50 years.

On the pitch, Terry is everything you would want if he was playing in your colours. Brave, committed, consistent - rarely do you see any forward get the better of him.

He is a warrior. Mourinho has been lucky to have him. And, as far as Chelsea are concerned, ‘Captain, Leader, Legend,’ is spot on.

As for the rest of the public, it’s ­unlikely they could stomach a statue being raised on the King’s Road.

Which is fair enough on one level. His errors have been grotesque. And poorly managed.

However, in the past couple of ­campaigns, the penny has finally dropped.

Last season, one Premier League coach remarked to him after a game at Stamford Bridge that it was a shame he did not play for England any more - to which Terry responded: “Yes, I’ve been a right ****, haven’t I?”

It’s a sense of remorse which may have come too late. And that’s a shame.

Because, based purely on his ­footballing achievements, John Terry deserves his place among the greats.